 | |
| Type | Regional sports network |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Broadcast area | Western New York Northwestern Pennsylvania Central New York (select programming) Nationwide (via satellite) |
| Headquarters | New York City Buffalo, New York |
| Programming | |
| Language | English |
| Picture format | 1080i (HDTV) 480i (SDTV) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | MSG Entertainment Hockey Western New York LLC |
| Sister channels | MSG Network MSG Sportsnet |
| History | |
| Launched | September 10, 2016; 9 years ago (2016-09-10) |
| Replaced | MSG Network (Zone 3-Western New York only) Empire Sports Network |
| Links | |
| Website | www |
| Availability | |
| Streaming media | |
| The Gotham Sports App | gothamsports (Requires a Gotham Sports account or existing MSG+ account, and a login from participating providers or a subscription to stream content) |
| DirecTV Stream | 635-1 |
| FuboTV | Available within designated area |
MSG Western New York (MSG WNY) is an Americanregional sports network that is a joint venture betweenMSG Entertainment andHockey Western New York LLC. The channel (also on occasion credited asPegula Sports Network orMSG Buffalo) is a sub-feed ofMSG Network, with programming oriented towards theWestern New York region, including coverage of theNational Hockey League'sBuffalo Sabres and theNational Football League'sBuffalo Bills. It replaced MSG Network on television providers in the Sabres' media market in 2016.
MSG Western New York is available oncable providers throughout Western New York. Most programming is available nationwide onsatellite viaDirecTV.
After the collapse ofEmpire Sports Network and its parentAdelphia,[1] MSG bought the rights to theBuffalo Sabres in 2006 under a 10-year deal; where telecasts are controlled by the team via theSabres Hockey Network, including the sale of advertising, and the simulcast ofRick Jeanneret's commentary on both radio and television (although, during the 2015-16 season, the team experimented with having separate commentary teams on radio and television for selected games, which theBuffalo News speculated was in preparation for Jeanneret's eventual retirement), conditions that the Sabres always make as part of their telecast deals going back to the days of Empire.[2][3] After acquiring the rights, MSG divided its network into three regional broadcast "zones"; Sabres games were available within "Zone 3", which covered Buffalo and Rochester, and "Zone 2", the remainder of the state excluding Buffalo, Rochester, and New York City—which was shared by the Sabres, Devils, Islanders, and Rangers. The exact channel assignment for Sabres games varied by region (some games were carried byFSN New York in Zone 2), but all games were carried on the main MSG Network service within Zone 3.[4][5]
The Buffalo Sabres' regional televisionratings are among the highest in the league; in the 2015-16 season, despite the team's poor overall performance, fan enthusiasm over star prospectJack Eichel helped the team achieve the highest average regional viewership of all NHL teams for the first time since 2008-09, with a 6.55 share.[6] National telecasts onNBC andNBCSN have also had notably high ratings in Buffalo.[7][8]
It was speculated thatPegula Sports and Entertainment, which had recently bought the Sabres,Rochester Americans,Buffalo Bandits andBuffalo Bills, was planning to take advantage of the high viewership by establishing a team-owned regional sports network once the Sabres' existing television contract with MSG expired. Bob Koshinski, who had managed Empire Sports Network for most of its existence, stated in 2020 that Pegula had seriously considered reviving Empire, but that MSG had offered $18,000,000 in guaranteed annual money to stay with them, money that Pegula was unwilling to turn down.[9] TheBuffalo News's Alan Pergament also acknowledged the impending end of the Sabres and Bills' radio contracts withWGR as a possibility that the group could, potentially, acquire a radio station to serve as a team-owned radio outlet if it is unable to renew its contract withEntercom (Entercom had purchased the Sabres' previous owned-and-operated station, 107.7WNSA, in 2004, and merged its remaining programming onto WGR). Pegula eventually secured a contract extension with Entercom keeping the Bills and Sabres on WGR through the spring of 2021.[10] However, in regards to television, he felt that it was more likely for Pegula to partner with MSG to form a full-time, Buffalo-specific feed of MSG Network with additional local programming, rather than actually establishing a new, standalone outlet.[3][11]
Basically, what we have done is create our own platform, which is stronger because we already have the distribution on MSG, we have the benefit of MSG programming on there and the benefit of the platform of producing as much programming as we feel comfortable.
On June 20, 2016, Pegula announced that it had entered into a joint venture with MSG to establish a new service known as MSG Western New York. The channel, a sub-feed of MSG Network took over the former MSG Zone 3/Sabres game only channel, replacing the parent channel within the Sabres existing television market—which was also, notably, expanded to include the entirety ofRochester.[12] The arrangement allows Pegula access to MSG's existing distribution and statewide programming, while allowing opt-outs for an expanded slate of local programming dedicated to the Bills and Sabres, which is produced and controlled by Pegula. MSG as part of the agreement pays $19 to $20 million per-year in rights fees to broadcast Sabres games and programming, as well as Buffalo Bills programming; it is nearly double the value of the previous Sabres deal. As with the previous deal, Pegula controls team programming on the network, including advertising sales and production (which is handled through PSE's production wing PicSix Creative), and receives all advertising revenue, while MSG collects theretransmission consent fee. Besides original programming and broadcasts exclusive to MSG WNY, the network also carries selected programming from the main MSG Network channel.[6]
Pegula's executive vice president of media and content Mark Preisler explained that the deal was an alternative to establishing a new regional sports network from scratch, as the company would be able to expand on its relationship with MSG as a long-standing partner by leveraging its infrastructure and distribution, rather than needing to invest in building a network and negotiating carriage with television providers.[6][13]
The first promos seen for the channel ran during a Bills preseason game against theIndianapolis Colts on August 13, 2016 promoting its Bills programming. The channel debuted on September 10, 2016 at 8:00pm with a Western New York cut in showing the 2016 debut ofThe Rex Ryan Show and a special behind the scenes feature calledRex and Rob Reunited at 8:30 and 9pm, the daily feed followed on October 3.[14]
On April 4, 2017, news broke thatJames L. Dolan, controlling owner of MSG, was exploring the sale of his regional sports networks, including his share of MSG Western New York.[15]
On August 28, 2023, Pegula Sports and Entertainment was dissolved, with the Bills and Hockey Western New York LLC (the holding company that owns the Sabres, Americans and Bandits) becoming separate business entities and Terry Pegula assuming Presidency of the Sabres organization.[16]
On August 28, 2024, MSG Networks, along with the YES Network announced a combined streaming app for their teams called the Gotham Sports App. Their television rights are not affected.[17]
The network carries team programming related to the Buffalo Sabres and Buffalo Bills; the former including all 70 regional Sabres games and the latter including local Bills shows formerly aired byWKBW-TV; preseason telecasts began to be simulcast with WKBW beginning in 2017. In addition, the channel simulcastsThe Instigators (formerly known asSabres Hockey Hotline)[18] andOne Bills Live (formerly known asThe John Murphy Show) fromWGR radio as part of a five-hour weekday block, originating from studios (dubbed theOne Buffalo studios) atHighmark Stadium; Murphy's program was moved from the evening to the afternoon and had a co-host added. As an aspect of the overall deal, PSE agreed in principle to extend its radio rights with WGR.[citation needed]
MSG Western New York added a package of fiveRochester Americans contests beginning in December 2016, moving the team's television broadcasts to MSG WNY from the moribundTime Warner Cable Sports Channel.[19] Select away playoff games are aired by the channel if the team is playing in a market where the home team has a television partner tosimulcast from such asLeafs Nation Network for theToronto Marlies. On September 7, 2017, it was announced that the channel would begin airing selectMonsignor Martin Athletic Association high school football games produced by Pegula as part of a multi-year deal, including a three-game showcase at New Era Field.[20] The high school coverage moved exclusively online for 2018.[21][6] The remainder of MSG WNY's schedule consists of programming from the mainMSG Network schedule, such asNew York Knicks basketball.[6][12] In turn, MSG also has rights to air the Pegula-produced original programming and game converge on its other networks.[6][12]
In 2018, MSG-produced Bills preseason telecasts moved to the stations ofNexstar Media Group in all media markets outside Buffalo. As the Bills could not break their existing contract with WKBW in Buffalo, the rights in that city did not change until 2021, when Nexstar-ownedWIVB-TV would begin carrying the games.[22]
Both of the two primary cable providers in Western New York,Spectrum (formerlyTime Warner Cable, which covers the vast majority of the state) andAtlantic Broadband (which covers a small portion ofCattaraugus County) have carried the network from its inception.
On August 10, 2016, the debut night of MSG Western New York it was revealed thatDirecTV would not be running the network's full programming schedule.[31] The Sabres noted that MSG made the programming available to DirecTV but the provider was not willing to carry it.[32] This made MSG WNY a part-time channel on DirecTV with the provider continuing to air the channel as a game only service showing Sabres games only. For the2017 NFL season, DirecTV began showingBills All Access and irregularly showing the first runs ofThe Sean McDermott Show andBills Tonight in addition to the Sabres games that the channel airs. A week later DirecTV began showingThe Instigators andThe John Murphy Show. DirecTV happens to be the service that Pegula owned properties like 716 Food and Sport, a sports bar and grill in downtown Buffalo use.
MSG Western New York, likeMSG andMSG Sportsnet, is unavailable onDish Network. As part of an ongoing feud with the family ofCharles Dolan (owners of MSG), Dish has not carried any MSG network channel since the last agreement expired on October 1, 2010.[33]
FuboTV added the MSG networks for the fall 2017 season.[34]
MSG launched a standalone over-the-top service MSG+, which includes MSG Western New York within the Sabres' broadcast territory, in 2023.[35] It is slated to be merged into Gotham Sports, a joint venture with MSG andYES Network, some time in 2025.[36][37]
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